Written by Amanda Coers – Unknown suspects cut the lock on the donation drop box for Good Samaritan Ministries at some point during the night and helped themselves to the donations inside. Regularly the drop box is stuffed full with donations from well-meaning community members trying to help the ministry. When Good Samaritan Ministry staff and volunteers arrived Tuesday morning, the drop box was open, and over two-thirds empty.

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“The sad thing is, if they really needed it, they could have come in and talked to us,” said the Resale Store Manager, Crystal Wyatt. “We would have just given it to them.”

Good Samaritan Ministries uses the donations, mostly consisting of clothing and household items, to stock their Resale Store. Proceeds from the store’s sales help the ministry operate their food distribution programs for families in need in Brown County. In a sense, the thieves didn’t just steal a few donated bags of clothes, they stole food from families trying hard to make ends meet.

Good Samaritan Ministries offers vouchers for their Resale Store for clients who qualify.

“We’re asking people in the community to keep an eye out,” said Misty Bowers, Communications Director for Good Samaritan Ministries. “If you see someone going through the bags on the sidewalk or trying to get into the drop box, call the police.”

The Resale Store is open to anyone, regardless of income level. The store, located at 305 Clark Street, is open Mondays and Wednesdays from 1 to 5 p.m., and Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Resale Store is also open every third Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Staff from Good Samaritan Ministries did file a report with the Brownwood Police Department regarding the theft. An investigation is currently ongoing.